Uglies: Shay's Story

March 5, 2012
The story of Westerfeld’s bestselling YA dystopia, Uglies, retold from the point of view of recurring frenemy Shay, this original graphic novel is set in a time when we are remembered only as the long-vanished “Rusties,” a future time when discord is suppressed through ruthlessly enforced conformity and obligatory plastic surgery at age 16. Eschewing a future of bland artificial beauty as a Pretty, Shay yearns for freedom. An encounter with the flawed and alluring David, a covert envoy from the Smoke, a secret community of nonconformists, may offer Shay the escape she craves, but despite her best efforts Shay faces unexpected rejection and unwitting sabotage from her closest friends. While Cumming’s mangaesque art is craftsmanlike, it is also limited in its range; the underage Uglies and the older Pretty cohort appear similarly flawless, undermining a vital element of the story. The strength of the tale comes from its change in perspective. Shay is a more interesting protagonist than the rather passive Tally, protagonist of the Uglies novels; unlike Tally, Shay is driven to act by her own desires and goals rather than the desires and goals of others, and the story that results is far more engrossing.

March 15, 2012
Grades 7-10 Everyone in Shay's world gets plastic surgery when they turn 16. Before their operationcalled the Surge teens are known as Uglies and pass their time by attending school and sometimes playing tricks on Pretties, their older, post-Surge counterparts. Shay meets David, the first teen she has ever known that has not had the Surge, and the mystery and danger deepen as she learns more about him, his way of life, and its relationship to her own community. While the pacing is awkward and the art mediocre, this eagerly awaited graphic novelization of Westerfeld's Uglies series will likely still be popular. Fans of the series will be interested in seeing the story from Shay's point of view, since the novel (Uglies, 2005) that this title is based on was written from the point of view of Tally, Shay's best friend. The endnotes, which include character sketches and notes from Westerfeld, are the most intriguing part of this title.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

March 21, 2005
In this launch title of a planned trilogy, teenager Tally Youngblood is living an unexamined life in a world unlike ours, hundreds of years from now. She's impatiently awaiting her birthday because in her town, Uglyville, everybody gets the same gift at age 16: cosmetic surgery which transforms them into gorgeous creatures. They also move into "party towers" in New Pretty Town. Tally's best friend has already made the transition and, motivated by her desire to see him, she sneaks into town. Her near-capture leads to a new best friend, Shay, who has the same birthday. On the eve of their operations, Shay reveals a plan to escape to a renegade settlement called "the Smoke." When Shay disappears, government agents blackmail Tally into leading them to the rebels. Once in the Smoke, Tally has a crisis of conscience when she learns the surgery is more sinister than she imagined. Teens will appreciate the gadgetry—including bungee jackets and hoverboards that work by magnetic levitation. But plausibility problems creep in, such as Tally leading a breakout of Smokeys from a high-tech compound while wearing handcuffs. As in his So Yesterday
, Westerfeld introduces thought-provoking issues, but readers may lose track of the plot while sorting the many messages about how the "Rusties" nearly destroyed the planet. They may also feel cheated when, after 400-plus pages, the ending leaves loose ends to be tied up in the next installment, Pretties
. Ages 12-up.